User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: It's cold, wear more clothes!

I was just going to thank CP for giving me a mid-point between 毛衣 máoyī and 大衣 dàyī. I was hoping that 外套 wàitào is the word that I have long sought for something in between a jumper and a heavy coat.  Now Changye - you have caused me to doubt this idea?  外套 (wàitào) = 大衣 (dáyī) = a coat .. 真的吗？ (Really?)  

If so, my search continues.  What is a word for jacket, something between a jumper and a winter coat? A light weight coat?    

Posted on: Anybody home?

@shanpan

I don't know if your question has any connection at all to this thread?  

Bird - note (a reference to birdsong, the noise made by birds, as in 'notes of music')  

Man - talk (by comparison, men talk and birds sing.)  

Actually men can also sing, and some birds talk, but I do not want to confuse you.  

Posted on: Anybody home?

@timlb

Sorry for stereotyping the US of A - but as you see from the above posts there is first hand evidence of another world.  It also looks as though it is only Australia & the UK that has in recent years (unfortunately) imitated the Nth American idea of dosing up on lollies. I am genuinely surprised that wherever you live it has retained its Hollywood wholesomeness (if you can equate wholesomeness with eating too much sugar and fat), but the US does comprise many cultures.

I'm kind of disturbed that it may be implied that my reservations would have anything to do with religion!  Far from it; I approve of a little paganism as long as it does not involve preaching.   

I am still wondering Ousijia where you have been?  Dogupatree's funny story seems to set in the UK?   

Posted on: Anybody home?

@xiaophil

:-) .. you make a good point.  But unfortunately for my students, leaving campus would probably be forbidden. It's not much fun inflicting mayhem on your mates.

@ousijia

Hi, I'm curious where you have been?? You describe a fascinating Halloween circa. 1960.  For many years it has been dominated by teenagers and young children are usually kept safely inside the home.

Posted on: Anybody home?

Changye

every day is already just like "Halloween" here in China

哈哈 .. you are so right.  Hmmm.. then that would mean that it is like Australia.  But they haven't learnt yet to spray shaving cream all over passing cars. 

BTW to those who I may have slightly offended, i realise that there is a deep spiritual/religious/cultural/meaningful/historical/ritualistic side to Halloween.. isn't there?  There isn't?

I have to say that Halloween is just so much FUN in Hollywoood films.  But in real life it disappoints..

Posted on: Anybody home?

Halloween is one American 'tradition' that China would be better off without. It is an opportunity for littering, vandalism, wandering the streets extorting innocents, and generally behaving badly.  And serial killings.  Given the chance I remind the Chinese that it is only Americans that indulge in this dumb anti-social behaviour (well, on this particular Day!  Australians do it pretty much any time.)  Unfortunately they have been brainwashed into thinking that they are the only country without it!  

Posted on: Buying a Bike

@orangina

Ooh, how embarrassing. I'm really showing my age.  Thanks for the update.  And you learned about them as a 'kid'!?  I come from the 'aclip' era.

I'm going to hazard a guess that is difficult to describe in Chinese.  I once spent about an hour on the difference between a bicycle with an electric motor attached and a 电动车。  (Generally Chinese call both vastly different designs by the same name.)  I spent ages saying that 'this wheel is tiny' and 'this wheel is huge'.  This one your legs are together - this one your legs are either side of a bar.  To no avail.  It's all the same, a wheel is a wheel is a wheel.  So good luck with you clipless pedals!   

Posted on: U-Turn

@mudphud

If you listen carefully to the dialogue you will notice that the sound coming after the w in 过 guò is not at all like the ou sound in 够 gòu.  Perhaps you realise this and just wrote the sound incorrectly in your post above.  What I am getting at is, the sounds are quite different; there is little chance of mistaking one for the other.  

Hope this helps you avoid the 'trouble' you refer to.  

Posted on: Buying a Bike

@orangina 

They don't have 'clipless' in my dictionary but aren't they just pedals?  脚蹬子 jiǎodēngzi ..or 自行车上的脚蹬子 

Pedal clips are 自行车上的脚蹬夹子!  zìxíngchē shàng de jiǎodēng jiā zi, 夹子意思'clip'.  

Clipless pedals: 大概自行车上的脚蹬没有夹子的  

I bet there is an easier way to say it .. Changye?? 

Posted on: Buying a Bike

@sebire

 the British standard that helmets have to adhere to are to protect any rider that that falls off sideways whilst stationary

Trust the British - that sounds Pythonesque!  I can just see the safety instructions on the helmet: 'To be used only in cases of being completely stationary'!  

As the saying goes, QED.